ON Running is a new and rapidly growing sports company based in Zurich, Switzerland. Founded by Olivier Bernhard, a triathlete with an impressive amount of wins in his 10 year career, ON Running presents now the Cloudsurfer: a training and racing shoe featuring their new – and quite interesting – technology.

The idea behing ON shoes is that current running shoes only absorb the vertical forces of an impact with the floor, but running exposes the runner to both vertical and horizontal forces. These are both taken care of by their Cloudtech system: 3 Dimensional elements in the outsole (called “Clouds”, you can’t miss them by looking at the pictures) that absorb both vertical and horizontal shocks and return both kinds of energy to the runner.

The result? A shoe that is both soft and fast. ON backs these claims with independent studies (here) that revealed that runners running in ON shoes saved on average 2 BPM vs running in their favourite running shoes and reduced lactate acid in their blood by an average 5.4%. This translates in a 9 minutes faster marathon time.

But… how do they feel ? Read on..

On Cloudsurfer First Impression

The first impression upon receiving and opening the ON Cloudsurfer box was very good. The Cloudsurfer comes in a very nice and sturdy black box that contains, in addition to the shoes, an “ownership card” and an extra pair of laces. The standard laces are in a lime green color, the extra ones are black in case you want to go for a more understated look. Little, great touch.

The shoes. The shoes look nice, they look great. Simple black with internal lining, laces and 3D Cloud elements in lime green. They look unusual and they did turn heads on my trial runs.

On Cloudsurfer Sole Unit

The Sole unit is where the magic of the Cloudsurfer is. Thirtheen “square tubes”, 4 in the heel and 9 in the forefoot are the cushioning and energy return system of this shoe.

There is no stability element. The midsole itself is quite sturdy and hard (it does not twist easily if squeezed with both hands).

I admit it is difficult to talk about this sole unit. It is unlike anything I have ever run in and I believe the pictures speak for themselves. The only thing to talk about is the ride. I want to talk more about it later (in the opinion section) but let me summarize it in one word: amazing.

On Cloudsurfer Upper

Consistent with the overall construction of the shoe, the upper is quite simple – and I believe this is the shoe’s major drawback.

Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with the upper itself. Very open mesh, little to none unnecessary overlays – great open toebox. A quite sturdy heel counter makes the heel feel securely locked in the shoe and the “o ring” clearly gives away that this shoe was designed by a triathlete: its function is to be able to quickly slip the shoe on during transition.

The Cloudsurfer includes a nicely cushioned and shaped insole with a mid to high arch shape.

On Cloudsurfer Opinion

I need to admit that I am usually skeptical when I read of new running shoes technologies that promise major performance improvement or breakthrough injury protection. So you can imagine my surprise when I put on my Cloudsurfers and went to a first 10km test run.

I was IN LOVE with the shoes. Nothing exceptional for the first 5k, but the more I was running the faster I wanted to run, and it felt quite effortless. It was actually a joy to run. So far I logged approximately 100 km in the Cloudsurfer, a good half of them behind the running stroller with my daugther in it, and I still enjoy them as much.

So what is my verdict on the Cloudsurfer? I am very glad I was given the chance to run in them. They are different and while I cannot test for myself the gains the company claims, I can surely say that they do feel fast and comfortable to run in.

I am an overpronator and I don’t feel the Cloudsurfer offers any relevant pronation control. That’s what keeps me from running more in them. I really enjoy 10km a week but I wish some degree of support could let me take them on a longer run. I don’t know how the company can adapt this technology to offer more support, but be sure I’ll keep a close eye on future releases.

The second, and main, issue I have with the shoe is that for 150$ the upper could be more “fancy”. I understand that you pay for the performance and not the bells and whistles, but for 150$ I would expect to find a seamless upper, softer lining and so on.. I know, simplicity and consistancy is part of the philosophy of the shoe and probably adding too many details would look of feel odd. But then I can’t justify the 150$ price tag.

Well, if the price is not an issue for you and you don’t need support – by all means give the Cloudsurfer a try. I really enjoy my pair and racing results from some the athletes the company sponsors make me believe we will hear more from ON – and we’ll definitely be listening.

We thank the peple at ON for sending us a pair of Cloudsurfer to test. This did not influence the review of these shoes, written after running more than 100km in them

Ruggero launched Running Shoes Guru in 2009. Originally from the Alps of Italy, he now lives in Amsterdam with his much loved little family. He is a passionate runner and triathlete who has worked many years in the sports footwear industry.

Recommended Reviews

Readers reviews

12

1

Steve Maddock

Just gone through my second pair of cloudsurfers, notched up about 1200km total, mostly off road- which i know wears them out faster. First pair felt quite stiff, but the newer model feels like soft slippers. Absolutely love them. Just bought another pair, and also the adventurer trail version. Went back to a previous shoe, got some calf pain and made me realise how good the ON trainers are. I’m a neutral mid foot striker. Hope that helps.

LIke Jason, I have issue with my first QC shoe. It feels OK when I jog (but I don’t do long distance, only about 5 km). However, the quality is an issue. After just about 5-8 use, the first pair, part of the material on the upper lining near where the shoe lace is tied, started to fray very badly. The shop I bought it from allowed me to replace the shoe with a new one – and guess what, the same part frayed again in barely 5-8 use.

Hi,my chiropractor told me about the ON running shoes and I am considering giving them a try. I run all distances, from the 800 and mile to 5k’s and half-marathons. I loved Saucony…until recently. I’ve worn the same model for over 7 years, but I am so tired of Saucony changing it!!! It is so frustrating. They have dropped the heel, which is making me over-pronate and have lower back pain and other issues that I never experienced before. I have tried other models of Saucony and have had the same result. How long doe the ON’s last? I usually buy a new pair of shoes every 2 -3 months.

Worst shoes I have bought in years. I actually have stopped wearing them as they are causing pain in my knees and calves. They act much more like a motion control shoe but do not give good traction or push-off. Definitely not worth the price and not recommended.

Hello there! Great article. I am relatively “new” to running, done some 10Ks and want to start training for half marathons. I soo want to buy a pair of Cloudsurfers but I can only purchase these online (there is no distributor in my country). My concern too is about sizing.. I’ve always felt comfortable in UK6-EUR39 (don’t know the conversion in US sizes) in Nike, New Balance, Puma, almost all kinds of athletic shoes (or even shoes in general), but when following On’s size guide by measuring my foot’s lenght, it seems like I need a EUR41! How’s that even possible?? And then when I chose my preferred shoe, sizes only come to US sizes and don’t know what to chose yet again.. Any advice, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a million!!

Hi, hope you’re doing great…
I’m about to buy the cloudsurfers, I already decided it, but my only concern is… I remember I read somewhere something about the size mentioning that these shoes are a little bit bigger than the rest of the shoes, have you heard something about it ?
Since I’m training for a half marathon, I’m currently using size 13, ( my actual size is 12 ) should I consider to buy the 13’s as well ??
Thanks for your help bro !!
Regards !

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